Tulane Locks in Visit With Potential Fast-Rising 2026 Running Back
Tulane was in the headlines a lot this offseason, and for much of it, it was due to disappointing news.
Perhaps no Group of 5 team was more negatively affected than the Green Wave during the transfer cycle, not only losing their star quarterback Darian Mensah and star running back Mekhi Hughes, but also their starting tight end and impactful defensive end among others.
That's the reality this new era of college football presents.
Power 4 schools with gobs of money are able to swoop in and offer the world to the best Group of 5 players, getting them to leave their previous programs that recruited and developed them into the versions they currently are.
But head coach Jon Sumrall didn't hang his head.
He and his coaching staff went to work in the portal, bringing in a solid group that will try to help Tulane get back to their fourth straight AAC title game.
To make things sustainable for the long haul in New Orleans, though, Sumrall and the staff have to recruit at a high level compared to the other G5 programs around the country if they're going to make the College Football Playoff during his tenure.
And there's a chance they might have found an unheraleded rising star in the 2026 class.
Jordan Stapleton, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound running back isn't ranked by the four major recruiting services, but he's coming off his junior season where he ran for 2,003 total yards which averaged to 200.3 per game and 11.8 per carry, according to the Sun Herald.
Those eye-popping numbers got him on the radar of Tulane, and he has set up a visit with the Green Wave per his own announcement on social media.
Spring schedule so far!!
— Jordan Stapleton (@Jordancalvin45) February 24, 2025
March 9 @TheUCReport
March 15 @JagsFB_Recruits
March 21 @LSUfootball
March 22 @AlabamaFTBL
March 25 @FSUFootball
March 29 @GreenWaveFB
April 8 @RaginCajunsFB
April 17 @OleMissFB
April 18 @HailStateFB
April 19 @TA_Recruiting @LawrencHopkins
As can be gathered from his post, he's going to have a busy spring traveling around to different programs across the country.
That could turn this into a battle for Tulane since he will no longer be a diamond in the rough.
He'll also be on the radar of programs like LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M and Florida State following his visits to their campuses, so that will create a challenge for the Green Wave as his recruitment progresses.
The good news is the Sun Herald also reported Tulane was the first FBS program to offer Stapleton a scholarship, something that could carry weight as he continues to build relationships with the coaching staff.
